Madam Chair, the intent at this meeting is quite clear. This is simply a stunt by the NDP.
There is no reason the NDP couldn't have put this motion forward to the committee next week, but the NDP is on a retreat this week in Ottawa, so calling back this committee didn't really matter to them. They were in Ottawa. They are calling back this committee, at taxpayers' expense, to discuss something that we could all be doing in the next couple of days.
If it was such an urgent matter, why couldn't they interrupt their Christmas vacation? Instead, two days before the House is to be called back, they have chosen to bring everyone here to discuss a motion that could have been put forward later. I think all of us here had important business in our ridings, but we all had to make special arrangements, cancel meetings, and make travel arrangements to be here. This is simply irresponsible. It is obviously just a stunt to get headlines and it is totally inappropriate.